Axle lighting system.



A. MQGARY.

AXLE LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.11, 1905.

906,055. Patented Dec. "8, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3SHBETS-SHEET 2.

Ina/072307; derlfc ai v Patented Dec. 8, 190&

i l l i i 1 i i A. MGG'ARY.

AXLE LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1905.

minesggg a/ffl y A. MGGARY.

AXLE LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1905.

906,055. Patented Dec. 8, 1908.'

3- SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER M(GARY, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR OF ONE-FIFTH TO CHARLES GILBERT HAWLEY, OF CHlGAGO, ILLINOIS.

AXLE LIGHTING SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MoGARY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of La Grange, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new, useful, and Im roved Axle Lighting System, of which the ollowin is a specification.

i y invention relates to the lighting of railroad trains by electricity and has particular reference to im rovements in electric lighting systems of that class known as axle lighting-systems and characterized by a storage battery and by a generator that is driven by the car axle. The ally followed in devising and o crating said systems has involved the use 0 currentand voltage regulators, and the maintenance of a constant current upon the lighting or lamp circuit of the system. My investigations and experiments show that such axle lighting systems are needlessly complicated and that the complication is chiefly attributable to the efforts made to regulate the current output and keep the same constant. In my invention I proceed upon the basis of the known fact that the lamps or other translating devices belonging to such a system will themselves determine the current consumption and in contra-distinction to the known systems my novel system is characterized by the maintenance of a constant voltage upon the lamp or working circuit of the system, without regard to the varying current flow.

The object of my invention may be briefly stated as being to 'rovide an electric lighting system which shal include a dynamo to be driven from a cargaxle, and a storage battery together with means that shall adapt the same to supply electric current, adequate to the varying demands of the lamp circuit, at a constant voltage.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric system of the class mentioned which, when in operation shall, automatically charge the stora e battery in a manner most favorable to its longevity.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction and circuits of electric ghting systems for railroad cars with a view to reducing the initial and maintenance costs connected therewith.

Other objects of my invention will appear hereinafter. I

My invention consists generally in a sys- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 11, 1906. Serial No. 278,822.

practice hitherto gener-- I Patented Dec. 8, 1908 tern of electric generation and distribution comprising a lamp circuit, a duplex genera the lamp circuit and connect one of the windings of the duplex generator with the battery and at the same time connect the other winding of the generator with the lamp circuit; and further, my invention consists in an electric system further characterized by automatic voltage regulating and pole-changing ap iaratus, the same comprising an auxiliary e ectric generator or exciter having its field variably energized from a suitab e source such as the lamp circuit and having its armature driven by or with the armature of the duplex enerator and ar ranged to energize the fiel thereof; and my invention conslsts further in various details of construction, in circuits and in circuit re lations all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to -*the accom anying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which;

' Figure 1, is a diagrammatic view of an electric system embodying my invention, the switches thereof being shown in the positions assumed when the storage battery is alone furnishing current to the lamp circuit, the generators being assumed to be at rest or with their armatures in slow rotation; Fig. 2 is a similar diagrammatic view, showing only those members and circuits which are ener ized when the dynamos are at rest and the attery is supplying the lamp circuit with energy. Fig. 3 is another diagrammatic view, showing the members and cir C, is a duplex generator, having a single armature rovided with two windings or sets of 00' s, D and E. These are wound upon a single core and hence rotate together. The armature winding, D, as hereinafter exlained, supplies energy to the lamp circuit.

he winding E contains a greater number of turns than winding D and supplies energy to the storage battery at V0 tage greater than that on the lamp circuit.

F, represents the field windings of the dupleixgenerator, wound upon a single set of 0 es p The armature shaft, G, is driven from the car axle, H, a belt or other suitable transmis sion being employed to connect the'shafts as indicated. A small, auxiliary generator or exciter is arranged on the same shaft, that is its armature l, is fixed upon the main armature shaft, G. Hence, the armatures of the main and auxiliary generators revolve, always, 'at the same speed and in the same direction. The terminals of the armature I, are connected to the terminals of the main field winding F, by lines I and 1 Hence when the shaft G is rotated the main generator will be energized or excited b current from the auxiliary generator. The 'eld winding J, of the auxiliary generator is connected across the terminals of the lamp circuit, B, or other portion of the system which is constantly energized during operation. This connection includes the variable resistance J and is traced-through-the lines, J, J J and the line K. The latter bein the common return line or connection of t e system. The office of the resistance is to vary the intensity of current in the auxilia field and thus vary the output of the auxi iary armature, and hence the strength of the main field. It is in this manner that I regulate the output of the main generator, and it will be seen that said output will depend upon the speed with which the main armature is rotated and the strength of the main field. Speaking generally, the operation of' the auxiliary generator is to weaken the main field as the main armature speed is increased.

L, represents a suitable-storage battery, one terminal of which is connected with the 'line,-K, and thereby to the lamp circuit terminal, B. Y

M, represents a hot wire or ribbon, this being an expansible conductor that is arranged in circuit across the oles or terminals of the lamp armature win ing, D, as shown by lines, M and M. One end of, the hot wire, M, is secured to a stationary support, and the other end, by means hereinafter described, is attached to the compression lever, N, belon ing to the compression resistance, J. The ever, N, carries a contact, 0, which is insulated therefrom, and is adapted to engage the lever, 0 these-parts constituting a circuit closer for the circuit of the automatic switch.

O is a limiting stop for the lever, 0 and the contact, 0, only engages the lever, 0 when and after the hot wire, M, has been expanded by a flow of currenttherethrough.

P, represents the lever of the automatic switch, and P is the electro-magnet which is adapted to move said lever, P, against the tension of a retractile spring, P. The position of the automatic switch, P, determines the operating condition of the system. In one position, the switch operates to place the battery in the lamp circuit and in the other position, it operates to remove the battery from the lamp circuit and place it in the circuit of the duplex-armature winding, E, and at the same time, the switch places the armature winding, D, in the lamp circuit. In other words, the movement of the switch lever, P, by the electro-magnet, P serves to replace the battery by the dynamo. The means and the manner in which this is accomplished will now be described.

The lever, P, is provided with a contact plate or bridge, P adapted to engage contacts L and L The contact, Lis connected with the battery by a line, L and the contact, L with the lamp terminal, B, by line L'. When the lever is in position-shown in Figs. 1 and 2, current will flow from'the battery, L through line, L contacts, L, P and L and thence through line L, to the lamp circuit, B, returning to the battery through the terminal, B ,'and the line, At such times, the lamps will be supplied with current from the batteryand therefrom only. On the opposite side of the lever, P, are plates, P and P When the lever, P, is drawn down by magnet, P these plates, P and P engage respectively, the pairs of contacts, D, D and E E These last represent the duplex armature windings, D and E respectively. When P rests upon the contact D, D the armature D is connected to the terminals of the lamp circuit. The circuit at such time may be traced from the lamp terminal, B through line, D through the armature, D, then the line, D and through contacts D P D and line, D to the lamp circuit terminal, B completing the circuit, B, which includes the lamps, A.

The electro-magnet, P is connected with the lamp armature line D by line, D", and its opposite terminal is connected with the switch lever, 0 through line, 0 the magnet being bridged or connected across the terminals or poles of the armature, D, and the magnet, 1?, may be energized irrespective of the closing of the main circuit of said armature through contact, D D The magnet is therefore always in readiness to operate the switch lever, P, and the magnet is so pro- D, into the lamp circuit as soon as the main armature has attained suliicient speed to produce the current and voltage required by the lamps. Thisoperation of the magnet P however, does not take place immediaely wire.

or determining ewitch, and said wire is so proportioned that upon the starting of the car and generatoror at an indeterminate time, for the reason that the circuit is not, closed throu h the magnet, P until the flow of current rom armature D has caused sufiicient-expansion of the hot wire, M, to ermit the contact, 0, to engage the switch ever, 0. The hot wire, therefore, is the means employed for controlling the action of the automatic switch contact E, by the line E. The' contact, E is connected by a short line E to the battery line, L When the brid e, P, closes upon the contact, E and E t e battery will be out off the lamp circuit and connected with the armature winding, E, to be charged therefrom. The flow of current at that time will befrom the' ositive ter minal of armature, E, through line E, contacts E, P and E and line E to the battery L, returning from thence to the armature through lines K and E. For the purpose of tapering the battery charge I introduce resistance ER in the line E. The effective resistance or ER varies with the current flow. Conse uently when the potential of the battery is ow it will be charged at a high rate but by a current of relatively low voltage andas the capacity of the battery is approxlmated thevolta e 'of the charging current will be increasecg thereby insuring the completeness of the charge and protecting the battery from injury. The special merit of this portion of my apparatus is that its operation and regulation are wholly automatic.

It has been pointed out that the field of the exciter or auxiliary generator is su plied with a varying current and that t e output of the main machine is controlled through this medium, and it now remains to be seen how the variation in the auxiliary field is effected. The hot wire or band, M, effects a variation of current in the field, J, of the auxiliary generator, by increasing or decreasing the pressure upon the carbon or other compression resistance, J, in proportion to the otential of the current upon the hot urthermore the hot wire causes the operation of the automatic switch, P, by opening and closing the switch, 0, O in the circuit of the magnet, P. The construction of the controlling device as a whole is shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5, wherein it will be seen that a spring, ON, connects the levers,

N, and O tending to draw and another and weaker s from the lever, O

ring, 0, tends to draw the lever, O, away rom the'stop, O. The lever, N, presses upon the carbon disks, J and carries a spring case, N Within the case, N*- is a rod, N and plunger, N The rod worlrs freely'through an opening in the end of the casing: N and is attached to the free end of the ot wire, M. A spring, N, between the plunger, N and the end of the casing, N tends to draw the lever, N, away that is the plunger is moved by the expansion the hot wire; and the from the stationary plunger,

fixed exceptas it is and contraction of spring, acting forces the lever toward the hot wire and hence away from the lever, O, and against the resistance. Said resistance is composed, preferably, of a number of carbon disks or looks and it will be obvious that when the wire or band is cold the spring will cause the lever to press heavily against the said disks. In this condition the device presents its minimum resistance to the flow of current through the auxilialguilield, and the output of the auxiliary mac e, if in rotation, will be the maximum. Thus the excitation or 'energization of the main generator is insured and made efiicient from the start.

Obviously, as the hot wire is in circuit connection with the lamp armature, D, said wire will receive current from the time that the armature begins its rotation, and as the speed of the armature increases its greater output will cause an increase of pressure on the hot wire, with accompanyin heat and consequent expansion. The early state of the controller is as shown in Fig. 4, and there is an adjustable nut or button, N, on the threaded plunger rod, N When the hot N, will take wire, M, is expanded the s rin up the expansion or slac r o? the wire, M, until the nut, N seats itself on the end of the casing on lever, N; the spring meantime maintaining pressure on the compression resistance. The nut, N is so ositioned that it will engage the lever, N, w en the voltage upon the hot Wire, due to the full energization of the main field and the more rapid rotation of the main armature, has closely approached the number of volts required upon the lamp circuit; and a slight increase on the hot wire circuit (thereafter 0 crating to further expand said wire M) will cause the release of the lever, N, and permit the contact, 0, to close upon the lever, O. This action closes the circuit or shunt containing the magnet, P and the operation of the switch follows immediately, the effect being to cut out the battery and place the main armature, D, in the lam circuit. At the same time, the armature, is connected with the battery and will begin to recharge the same.

Reverting to the controller; it has been seen that the spring exerts its maximum them together, I

pressure upon the resistance, J, when the wire, M, is cold and it will be evident that as the hot .wire expands and thus lessens the spring pressure t e efiective resistance of the mass, J, will be increased. In other words the field of the auxiliary generator will, be cause of the greater resistance in its circuit, be weakened and this will in turn result in weakening the field of the main generator.

the switch, 0, O closes, is slight but is suilicient to vary the resistance, J, to such extent as to cause the auxiliary generator to vary in response to slight fluctuations on the hot wire, M, and thus compensate for changes in the speed of the main generator armature and in the load on the lamp circuit. The result is a substantially constant voltage upon thelamp circuit which constant voltage is maintained irrespective of the current consumption and irrespective of variations of car speed, so long as the generator speed does not fallbelow the minimum. When a drop in speed does occur the hot wire which is in direct connection with the lamp circuit will at once respond and its contraction will result in opening the automatic switch circuit, whereupon the storage battery will be instantly restored to the lamp circuit and will remain therein until the generator speed again rises to the point at which the controller and switch operate to again close the circuits of the lamp and charging armatures. In practice suitable circuit closers are provided in the various circuits for the purpose of cutting ofi the lamps when desired and to prevent battery leakage, when the system is at rest, but such switches and the manner of their use being well known it has been deemed unnecessary to either show or describe them herein;

It being assumed that the system is in use, the operation of my invention is as follows: When the car that is equipped with my system is at rest, and also after the car has been started, but before the generator speed has reached the required minimum, the ener gized portions and circuits of the system are as shown in Fig. 2. At this time the battery is in circuit with the lamps, the upper contacts of the automatic switchserving to close the circuit through lamps and battery. During this period the field of the auxiliary generator is energized the degree of energiza tion being the maximum inasmuch as said windings.

auxiliary field, J, is in circuit across the poles of the battery and the strongly compressed resistance, J offers minimum obstruction to the passage of current through the field The armature shaft being started the hot wire which is in closed circuit with the armature winding, D, will be heated. Meantime the armature winding, E, remains idle as its circuit is open at the contacts E and E As the speed of the armature increases the energization of the main field from the auxiliary armature also increases and the pressure increment upon the circuit of the hot wire, M, will cause further expansion thereof. This condition will continue until the hot wire has been sufl'icientlyexpanded to permit the closing of the switch, 0, O, and the circuit of the automatic switch magnet, P Incidentally the effective resistance of J is slightly increased and consequently the auxiliary field, J, is weakened preparatory to the regulation'of the main generator. When the magnet, P ,'is energized and the automatic switch upon the contacts beneath it, the active members and circuits will be as shown in Fig. 3. The dotted lines in this figure show how the battery is cut out of the lamp circuit. The lamp circuit will now be supplied with energy from the arma- Lure winding, D, and the current flow in the battery will be reversed, the same being charged with current from the armature winding, E; the resistance ER in that circuit operating in tho advantageous manner hereinbefore setiforth. The hot wire, M, responds to every change of potential upon the lamp armature andin so doing causes the described variations of resistance the cirattains suflicient strength to close v cuit of the auxiliary field, J, thereby accom-Ti plishing the described variation of strength in the field of the main generator which latter accurately compensates for every change in the speed of the armature shaft. The auxiliary generator is an automatic pole changer for the main generator, that is, the polarity of the auxiliary field is constant by reason of the fact that the direction of the current in its winding is always the same and therefore when the armature shaft isrotated oppositely the polarity of the auxiliary armature will reverse, thereby reversing the poles of the main generator field, to maintain the polarity of the lamp circuit and also the battery circuit.

As various modifications of my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art I do not confine my invention to the specific constructions, relations'and circuits herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An electric system, comprising a working circuit containing electric translating de-.

adapted to connect armature to said battery when the latter the working circuit,'

.winding of .the field of mg circuit supplied vices, in combination with a storage batte a direct current generator having a variably driven duplex direct current armature, one part of which is devoted to said working circuit, and the other to said battery, means for maintaining the voltage of said generator substantially constant at and above a certain speed of said armature, and means automatically operative to connect the respective parts of said armature to said circuit and said battery, speed of said armature is attained, and reversely operating to disconnect the same and connect the battery with said working circuit only, when the speed of said armature falls below the minimum, substantially as described.

2. In a system of electric generation and distribution a working circuit, in combination with a storage battery, a generator having a direct current. duplex armature, means connecting said battery with said circuit,

means for disconnecting the battery"there-- from and connecting one of the windings of said armature with said lamp circuit, means forconnecting the other armature winding with said battery, all said means working together as a unit, and suitable means for varying the strength of the field of said generator to maintain the voltage of said armature windings, substantially as described.

3. An electric system comprising, a storage battery, in combination with a direct current generator having a duplex armature, means for variably driving said armature, an auxiliary generator having its armature rotated in time with said duplex armature and arranged to energize the field of said generator, a working circuit connected with one of the windings of said duplex armature, a storage battery connected with the other said armature, means whereby said auxiliary generator is variably energized, causing variations in the fields of the main generator and means for disconnecting said working circuit and battery from respective windings and connecting said circuit and battery, substantially as described.

4. An electric system comprising a storage battery, in combination with a dynamo having a direct current du lex armature, a work om said battery or from one of the windings of said armature, a suitable switch for connecting one or the other with said circuit, said switch being the other winding of said is disconnected from switch operating means controlled b the voltage upon one of the windings 0 said armature and means whereby variations of voltage upon the working circuit following its connection with said armature are made when the minimum voltage mg its own field arran to cause inverse variations in the field of said dynamo, substantially as described.

5. An electric system comprising a working circuit in combination with a stor e battery, for occasional connection to said working circuit, two direct current main generator armatures, connected to said working circuit and battery respectively, common means for driving said armatures, a single suitably wound main generator field, an auxiliary generator having its armature driven with said main armatures and adapted to energize said main field, the field of said auxiliary generator being arranged in circuit across the poles of one of the main armatnres, resistance in the circuit of the auxiliary field, and means automatically responsive to variations of potential upon said main armature and ada ted to vary the resistance in the circuit 0? the auxiliary field, substantially as described.

6.'An electric system comprising a working circuit, in combination with a storage battery, a generator having two direct current armatures in one body, one connected with said working circuit andthe other connected in circuit with said battery and a charge controlling resistance, the latter armature winding being of a greater number of turns than the former, an auxiliary generator having its armature arranged to energize the field of the main generator and haved in circuit across the poles of one of t means automatically responsive to variations of potential upon said main armature for varying the strength of the auxiliary field, and a switch also res onsive to variations of armature potential or placing said storage battery in the working circuit, when the voltage of said armature falls below the minimum, substantially as described.

7. An electric system comprising'awork ing circuit, incombination with a storage battery, main and auxiliary direct current generators having a common armature shaft, theauxiliary armature being adapted to energize the field of themain generator and the.

armature of the main generator having two windings of unequal dimensions, sultable resistance connected with the larger armature winding, variable resistance cpnnected in circuit with the field of the auxiliary generator and the smaller winding of the main armature, means also connected in clrcult with said smaller windin for varying the resistance in the auxiliary eld circuit andan automatic switch controlled by the latter means for connecting the battery with the working circuit also for disconnecting the same therefrom and connect the smaller and the larger windings ofthe main armature respectively, substantially as described.

'with theworking circuit and the battery, 1

8; In an electric system of the class described, a working circuit, in combination with a storage battery, a direct current generator having a duplex armature, the windings of which are connected with said circuit .and said battery respectively, a switch for disconnecting said armature w ndings from said circuit and battery and connecting said battery and circuit direct, means for energizing the field of said generator and for varying the strength thereof in response to the variations of potential upon said working circuit and electro magnetic meansfor actuating said switch when the otential of said duplex armature falls be ow or rises above a certain minimum voltage, substan-.

vadapted to disconnect said duplex armature from said circuit and battery and connect the battery and circuitdirect and vice versa, an auxiliary generator for energizing the field of said generator anditself energized by current from said working circuit and means also deriving current from said armature and controlling the action ofsaid auxiliary generator. w p

10. An electric system of the class deiscribed, comprising a working circuit, in combmatlon wit a storage battery, a direct current generator having a du lex armature, a

circuit forienergizmg the eld of said generator, variable resistance controlling the latter circuit, circuits for connecting the windings of said duplex armature with said working circuit and said battery respec-' ,tively, charge controlling resistance in the his armature-battery circuit, an expansible conductor derivmgcurrent from one of the said armature an electro magnetic switch for connecting said working circuit and said battery, and adapted to disconnect the same and connect said working circuit and battery with respective armature windings and means associated with said expansible conductor controllin said switch and said variable resistance, su stantially as described.

11. In an electric system of the class de scribed, a working circuit, in with a sterage battery, a generator-having a duplex direct current armature, a switch for connecting's'a'id battery and working circuit,

i or connecting said'battery and working circuit to respective windings of said duplexarmature, an auxiliary pole changing generator, having-its armature on' the'shaft of the duplex armature and arranged to energize the field of the main generator, the. auxi'ary field circuit including variable resistance, and means energized from said duplex armature for varying said resistance, substantially as described.

12. In an electric system of the class described, a working circuit containing translating devices, in combination with a storage battery, a main generator havin a duplex armature provided with windings or connec-' tion res ectively with said working circuit and sai storage battery, an electro-magnetic switch adapted to connect said circuit and battery with said duplex armature or to connect said battery and working circuit direct, a suitable pole changer for said generator comprising a second generator having an armature connected with the field circuit. of said main generator and driven by said armature shait, the field for said second generator bein arranged in said working cir- 'cuit, variab e resistance device arranged in the field circuit of said second generator, a

lever for actuating said variable resistance device, and an expansrble conductor connected w1th said lever and receiving current from said duplex armature, substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. In an electric system of the class described, a working circuit, in combination with a stora e battery, a enerator having a suitable fiel and a drip ex armature, the windings of which are adapted for connection with said working circuit and said battery respectively, an electro-magnetic switch governing the connection of the working circuit, battery, and armature, an auxiliary generator for energizing the field of said enerator and having its own field energize by current from said armature, a variable resistance in the field circuit of the auxiliary generator and an expansible conductor in circuit with one of the windings of said armature for controllin said variable resistance and the action 0% said switch, substantially as described.

- 14. In an electric system of the class dea field energizing, auxiliary generator having its armature driven with said duplex armature, the auxiliary enerator'field circuit, '-variable resistance t erein, an expansible conductor connected with one of the windings of said duplex armature, and a sup lementary switch actuated by said expansible conductor for controlling said variable resistance and the action of the first mentioned switch, substantially as described.

15. In an electric system of the class described, a working circuit containing translating devices, in combination with a storage battery, a main generator having a duplex armature provided with windings for connection res ectively with said working circuit and said battery, an electro-magnetic switch governing the connection of the working circuit, battery and armature, a second generator in the field circuit of said main generator and having a suitably energized field, variable resistance for controllin the strength of said field, and an eXpansibIe conductor in circuit with one of the windings of said duplex armature and operating said resistance, substantially as described.

16. In an electric system of the class described, a Working circuit containing translating devices, in combination with a storage battery, a main generator having a duplex armature provided with windings for connection with said working circuit and said battery respectively, an electro-magnetic switch governing the connection of said working circuit, battery and armature, a second generator for energizing the field of said main generator and having a suitable energized field, variable resistance for controlling the strength of said field, and an expansible conductor in circuit with one of the windings of said duplex armature and controlling said variable resistance and said switch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 13th day of July, 1905, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER MOGARY. 

